THE mother of a paratrooper killed in Afghanistan is leading a campaign to get every a street named after every soldier who died in the conflict.

Elaine Bell, mother of Private Martin Bell, said the move would leave legacies to members of the Armed Services who had paid the ultimate price for their country.

453 soldiers from the UK died in the conflict up to the withdrawal of troops last month.

Mrs Bell wants councils from across the country to name a road after their local heroes.

Pte Bell, from Colchester-based Second Battalion the Parachute Regiment, was awarded the George Medal.

He disobeyed a direct order and pulled a wounded comrade to safety.

He knowingly entered an area where bombs had been laid saving another paratrooper seconds before he was killed.

His mum, from Bradford, is hoping her local council will be the first with all others following and is joining forces with Wendy Rayner, whose husband was killed in Afghanistan, She said: “We would lead the way if the council do it.

"I know a little bit of what families have to go through. It's dreadful, there's some awful memories.”

Mrs Bell said street names would be constant reminders.

"Everybody sees a street sign, it's something that everybody passes," she said.

It is understood a housing development near Bradford will include Martin Bell Walk.

Mrs Bell hopes an official naming ceremony can be held on January 25 - the fourth anniversary of the 24-year-old's death in Helmand Province.

She said: “I thought it would be lovely if they did it for all of them killed in Afghanistan and it would be nice to have a campaign."

A spokesman for Colchester Council said: "The council street naming team has been in contact with Colchester Garrison regarding initiatives of this nature.

"All road name suggestions are taken into consideration and are judged individually on their suitability.”

It is hoped future choices will prove more popular than some of the recent decisions.

Residents were bemused when Bellway Homes decided to name the new estate, on the former Betts factory site in Ipswich, after the Spanish word for hazelnut.

They had hoped the estate’s name would commemorate a Lancaster bomber crew who crashed and died near the site in April 1944.

Instead, Bellway Homes has named the development Avellana Place.

The company is planning to mark the sacrifice of the crew in some form on the estate.